Sous Vide Octopus Carpaccio
This italian style octopus carpaccio is the perfect appetizer. Serve this with extra virgin olive oil, frisée or arugula and parmigiano reggiano. I served mine with a burnt honey aioli, preserved lemon, extra virgin olive oil, Calabrian chili, frisée and grilled crostini.
The remaining tentacle and head pieces can be grilled in used in salad.
Sous Vide Octopus Carpaccio
Thinly slice, fully cooked octopus served with the dressing and toppings of your choice
Equipment
- butchers twine
- sausage pricker
- sous vide
Ingredients
- 2 octopus Leg quarters only (beak and head removed)
- 5 g kombu pieces
- 1 tbsp crushed black pepper
- 1 tsp salt (6 g)
- 8 g gelatin leaf gold grade
- 200 g octopus broth (made naturally during sous vide step)
Instructions
- Set the water bath to 180℉.
- Remove the heads from the octopi. Sous vide the heads together in a separate bag or reserve them for a later use. I SV the heads then grilled and sliced them for a salad
- Place each leg quarters in its own bag along with the pepper, kombu and salt. Note: I put the pepper and kombu in spice bags but this is not necessary since you will be straining the brother at the end.
- Remove the air from the bags and seal them using vacuum chamber sealer, vacuum sealer or the water displacement method.
- Place the bags in the water bath for 4 hours. Use a rack or chain mesh weight to keep the bags from floating. Octopi release lots of water when cooking.
- After the octopi cook, remove them from the bags, strain and reserve 200 g the bag’s liquid.
- Slice the leg quarters into individual tentacles.
- Snip the thin ends from the tentacles and reserve for salad/grilling. Put the tentacles in the fridge.
- Bloom the gelatin leaves in ice cold water for 5-10 minutes or consistent with the package instructions for blooming.
- Gently heat the octopus broth over medium heat until warm and steamy. Do not boil it.
- Remove the gelatin leaves from the ice cold water and squeeze them tightly to dry them.
- Add the bloomed gelatin leaves to the warm octopus broth and stir to combine and fully dissolve the gelatin into the broth.
- Remove the broth from heat, place in a container to cool, and set it to the side.
- Take the tentacles out of the fridge and coat liberally with the gelatinized broth. Mix the tentacles with your hands to ensure each tentacle is well coated.
- Place two to three overlapping plastic wrap sheets on your counter. Don’t skimp on the plastic wrap. You need enough of it so that you can tightly compact the log without it bursting. Layer the tentacles over one another creating a mound.
- Roll the tentacles tightly into a log and after your log is formed tie one end in a knot.
- Using a sausage pricker or toothpick poke vent holes all over the log so the excess liquid can drain as you compact it.
- Move the tentacle log to the knotted end by applying pressure from the untied end to the knotted end. Make sure the log is very compact.
- Once you reach your desired thickness and the log is tight, twist the untied end and tightly tie a knot around it with butchers twine.
- Bag the tentacle log and place it in an ice bath.
- Once completely cooled rest it in the fridge overnight to ensure the gelatin sets.
- The next day slice the log into 1.25 mm slices or with a deli slicer on 2.5 setting.
- Enjoy this layered on a large plate with the toppings of your choice.
